, and called to the boys to
hurry.

The five boys had their hands full in retrieving all the chairs, and
canvas sheets, and fish lines, and sacks. When they got them all in and
packed upon the bobsled for transportation, the snow was a foot deep on
the ice and it was snowing so fast that one could not see ten feet into
the swirling heart of the storm.

"I declare! it looks as though we were in a mess, with all this snow,"
complained Tom Cameron.

"And with all these girls," growled Ralph Tingley. "Wish we'd started an
hour ago."

"I don't know about starting _at all_," observed Bobbins. "Don't you see
that the girls will give out before we're half-way there? We can't use
snowshoes with the snow coming down like this. They clog too fast."

"Oh, they'll have to wade the same as we do," said Isadore.

"Yah! Wade! And us pulling this sled, too? I wish Preston had stayed with
us. Don't you, Ralph?" asked his brother.

"Hush! don't let the girls hear you," was the whispered reply.

Already the girls were comparing notes in a group around the fire. Now
Madge turned and shouted for them:

"Come here, boys! Don't be mumbling together there. We have an idea."

"If it's any good, let's have it," answered Tom, cheerfully.

"It is good. It was born of experience. Some of us got all the tramping in
a blinding snowstorm that we wanted a year ago. Never again! Eh, girls?"

"Quite right, Madge," said Ralph. "It is foolish to run into danger. We
are all right here----"

"Why, the snow will drown out your fire in half an hour," scoffed Isadore.
"And there isn't so much dry fuel."

"I know where there is plenty of wood--and shelter, too!" cried Ruth,
suddenly.

"So do I. At the lodge," scoffed Belle.

"No. Nearby. Tom and I were just talking about it. Up that ravine yonder
is the place where I fell over the cliff. And Jerry's cave is right
there--one end of it."

"A cave!" ejaculated Helen. "That would be bully."

"If only we could have a good fire and get dry and warm again," quoth
Lluella, her teeth already chattering.

"I believe that would be best," admitted Madge Steele. "We never could get
back to the lodge through this snow. The shore is so rough."

"We can travel on the ice," ventured Ann Hicks, doubtfully.

"And get turned around," put in Tom. "Easiest thing in the world to get
lost out there on that ice without a compass and in such a whirlwind of
snow. Ruth's right. Let's try to find the cave."

"I'm